Resilient wheel.



B. S. NELLANS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. H. 1915.

lfi13fi3fi Patented Jan. 30, 1917.- \MI/ gnaw whom B- s' N wifweoowBRODIE S. NELLANS, OF'ELIBING, KANSAS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Application filed December 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, Bnonm S. NELLANs, a citizen of the United States,residing at lfllbing, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved vehicle wheel and more particularlypertains to that type of wheel which is used in connection withautomobiles and one of such construction as to dispense with the use ofpneumatic tires.

The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of means,whereby the weight or stress is distributed longitudinally of theperiphery of the wheel.

Another object of my invention is to overcome the resistance encounteredby the wheel on uneven surfaces of the road and by obstacles thereon,such as rocks, etc.

. A further object is to provide for the securing of the wheel spokes tothe spring members and means for connecting the spring members to thefelly.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyset forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of the application.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my improved wheel with portionsbroken away, and, Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view on line 22 of Fig. 1,showing the spring members, with the tire supporting bolts in section.Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrow.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription, and indicated in all of the views of the drawings, by thesame reference numerals.

The wheel comprises a hub 1, having radiating therefrom, a plurality ofspokes 2, which are preferably constructed of wire, though it is to beunderstood that the well known type of wooden spokes may be likewiseemployed. The spokes 2 may be secured to the hub in any suitable mannerand Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 311, 1217.

Serial No. 66,303.

have their opposite ends screw threaded at 3. The cushioning means forsaid wheel comprises the spring unit members f and 5, and the connectingstrap member 6, the spring unit members 1 and 5 being secured to thespokes 2, in the following manner: Each spring unit consists of a numberof strap members, preferably three, which are superposed with two ofthem engaging each other, while the other one is spaced therefrom byblocks 7, which latter receives the threaded end 3 of the spokes 2, theouter ends of the spokes terminating flush with the outer face of thestrap member 6, and if desired, said ends may be upset or riveted.Spring unit members 4: and 5, are held in spaced relation by theconnecting strap members 6, which is arranged with a continuation ofintegral triangular formations 8 or it is substantially zi'g-zag inconstruction and the spokes 2 pass through the strap member 6, at thecentral portions of the apex of each of the triangular formations 8.

The members a and 5 are held in fixed position upon the spokes 2 bymeans of nuts or threaded blocks 9 which engage the threaded ends 3 ofthe spokes 2 and bear upon the respective inner surfaces of theinnermost spring unit members 4. and 5 when screwed down on said membersand, directs outward pressure thereon and gives tension thereto. Midwaybetween the points of attachment of the spokes with the respectivespring unit members 4: and 5, and interposed between the respectiveinner and outer spring units thereof, are the blocks 10, which havethreaded apertures adapted for the reception of the threaded ends'll, 0fthe felly supporting bolts 12, and the nuts 13 and 14 bind respectivelyagainst the outer face of the outer spring member and the inner face ofthe inner spring member, The opposite ends of the supporting bolts 12,are formed into yokes 15 which are attached to the felly by means ofrivets 16, or the like.

The felly proper, comprises a plurality of convoluted sheets of springmetal 19, and to certain of the inner convex portions 20 of said fellyare secured the yokes 15, by means of the rivets 16. A. rubber tire 22is molded on the felly and serves to further cushion the wheelpreventing the contact of the felly with the road surface. It will thusbe seen that the weight on the wheel will be jointly supported by thesprings of the spring unit members 4 and 5 and the felly in turn throughthe yokes 15 and bolts 12, and any resistance encountered by the fellywill be dissimulated through the convolutions 19 thereof. Likewise thespring unit members 4L and 5, connected at their central parts to thebolts 12, will give, under pressure, and serve to further cushion theWheel.

It is obvious that in a wheel of this type, the Weight of the machinecarried thereby will be cushioned first by the spring units at and 5 attheir point of contact with the spokes, secondly, through the unitmembers with the bolts 12 at their medial portions, and thirdly by thecontact of the yokes 1'5, with the convolutions 19 of the felly, andlastly thenatural cushioning of the folly and the rubber tire 22.

While I have shown and described my invention in this particular form,it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications canbe resorted to that may come within the scope of the claims heretoappended.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters-Patent, is

1. A resilient Wheel, comprising a hub, spokes carried by said hub andhaving their ends in alternate staggered relation to provide spokeseries, spring niembers secured to the spokes of each series, a springfelly for said. Wheel, means connecting the springs of the spoke seriesto said spring felly, and a zigzag reinforcing band securedconsecutively to the ends of the alternating spokes for maintaining thespoke series and their spring members in lateral spaced relation.

2. A resilient wheel, comprising a hub having spokes provided with screwthreaded ends disposed in alternate staggered relation to each other toprovide spoke series, a plurality of superposed spring bands securedupon the threaded ends of each of the spoke series and lying in spacedparallelism to each other, an angular reinforcing band having angularsectors secured to the extremities of said spokes for connecting thealternate spokes of one series to the alternate spokes of the otherseries for maintaining said spokes and said spring bands in operativeposition, a felly for said wheel consisting of a plurality of superposedconvolute spring members provided with a resilient thread member, andbolts for connect ing said felly to the respective spring bands of saidspoke series.

3. A resilient wheel, comprising a hub having spokes provided with screwthreaded ends disposed in alternate staggered relation to each other toprovide spoke series, a plurality of superposed spring bands so curedupon the threaded ends of each of the spoke series and lying in spacedparallelism to each other, an angular reinforcing band having angularsectors secured. to the extremities of said spokes for connecting thealternate spokes of one series to the alternate spokes of the otherseries for maintainin'g said spokes and said spring bands in operativeposition, a felly for said wheel consisting of a plurality of superposedconvolute spring members provided with a resilient tread member, andbolts connecting each llternate convolute of said spring felly to therespective spring bands of said spoke series at a point midway betweenthe ends of the spokes of said series.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRODIE S. NELLANS.

Witnesses ROBERT DUNN, OLEN REID.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

